Main Findings
This publication provides results of the annual survey on children educated outwith school, and the latest projections of pupil numbers.
The main findings are: -
Children educated outwith school
- In 2007/08 there were 932 children who received local authority education at home or in hospital due to prolonged ill health, or through special arrangements put in place as a result of family illness. A further 225 children received education at home under 'other extraordinary circumstances'.
- In 2007/08, 579 children were known by local authorities to be receiving home education as a result of parental choice, who had at some point in the past been in local authority school education. This figure had risen by 15 (three per cent) from the previous year, although this varied between local authorities.
- Another 177 children who had never been in local authority school education were known by local authorities to be receiving home education as a result of parental choice, an increase of 38 (twenty-seven per cent) from the previous year.
- The total number of children known to be educated at home due to parental choice, 756, represents 0.1 per cent of the population aged 5-15, the same as in recent years. It is recognised that there may be more children educated outwith school who are not currently known to local authorities, and that any changes in numbers known may be due to information management.
National pupil projections (2006 based)
- The total number of pupils receiving publicly funded school education is projected to decrease steadily from 692 thousand in 2007, to 658 thousand in 2014, then rise until peaking at 675 thousand in 2022.
- The number of pupils in publicly funded primary schools is projected to continue to fall briefly from 376 thousand in 2007, to 367 thousand in 2010, then rise until peaking at 390 thousand in 2018. Primary pupil numbers are projected to be above current numbers from 2013 to 2026.
- The number of pupils in publicly funded secondary schools is projected to decrease steadily from 310 thousand in 2007 to 266 thousand in 2016, then rise until peaking at 286 thousand in 2024.
- The number of pupils in publicly funded special schools has been projected to change in line with the projected change in the number of children of school age, but have also been marginally adjusted to account for some remaining potential impact of mainstreaming of pupils with additional support needs. It has been assumed that the number of pupils in the independent sector will remain constant.